Your Fate Awaits You There
by Educate the Masses
Summary: Tight sequel to The Baby. If you haven't read it, you won't get it. This is for you Carolina17. Consider it a late Christmas present. I own nothing by the way. Really. Just editing a little, folks--don't panic
1. Chapter 1

**So Santa is back at the North Pole and my children are happy (apparently they were very good this year). Funny how children are completely unaware of the stress Santa is under. This is for carolina17 who has been so patiently waiting. I am very sorry about my lack of postings in all of my stories. I have been busier than a one armed paper hanger. It's so late, I can't even tell if this is any good, but here goes.**

**This is in the Perspective/Baby series, in fact, if you haven't read 'The Baby' this will make absolutely no sense to you.**

**Your Fate Awaits You There**

It had been a month since their first "date." Castle was starting to wonder if they were ever going to make it to the fifth date. He may die of old age first. He did find a small amount of comfort in the fact that it had taken this long to get to the fourth date. He had originally hoped that he could knock out all five dates in one week. But they had gotten so busy that there was no time for dating. Castle was starting to wonder how many poor souls had given up by this point.

There were arguments along the way about what constituted a "date." Kate made it very clear that nothing that happened at the station could be considered a "date." In fact, no one at the station was to know that they were dating, although Ryan and Esposito were suspicious. Castle wouldn't say a word; he couldn't risk jeopardizing a "date." Castle tried to convince her that when they ate dinner at a restaurant after interviewing a witness at said restaurant, it was considered a "date." Kate responded in the negative.

"Are you getting cheap on me, Castle? Making the department pay for your dates now?"

The biggest disagreement was about his Halloween party. He thought that certainly it was a date. Kate's opinion differed. He invited her to the party, but not as his "date." No amount of logic or whining would make her see otherwise. So here he was, outside her door about to take her on what he considered should be their fifth date, but she was adamant that it was the fourth.

"Hey, come on in. I just need to grab my bag and coat." Her eyes looked him up and down, "You look nice." He was wearing a black button-down with jeans and a camel hair jacket.

When she opened the door, he temporarily lost his voice. She was wearing a long, caramel colored skirt with black boots and a black v-neck sweater that hugged her figure and revealed the perfect amount of cleavage. What stunned him though was her hair. It was up and twisted with big loopy curls. One of those hairstyles that look casual, but you knew it took some work. "You look…Wow. I love the hair."

"Thanks," She looked at his hand, "You brought wine?"

"Yeah, is that okay?"

"It's nice. I'm glad you did. I was going to have to stop on the way over. Now we won't be late." She grabbed her bag and continued, "You know, I was thinking. Since Emma invited both of us, maybe this isn't a date either."

He set the wine down on the table and stole behind her. "Oh, no you don't. Don't even try it!" He put his hands on her arms and attacked her neck with his lips. "I am losing patience, Detective." He murmured against her skin. He grinned when he felt her tremble. _Good. At least she feels it too._

She turned to face him, her eyes a shade darker than usual. "There had better not be a hickey on my neck." She slid her hands under his jacket and kissed him. "Fine, it's a date." She said, rolling her eyes. "But you are getting off awfully cheap this time."

"Believe me; you're making me pay in other ways." Castle grumbled.

"Later, Castle. You're almost there. It's worth the wait." She whispered in his ear. Rick growled and pulled her even closer to him.

Kate smiled while disentangling herself from his grip, and went to the mirror to make sure he hadn't left a mark on her neck. "Let's go."

In the car, headed over to Emma and Jorge's place in Brooklyn, Kate broke the silence with dreaded words: "I need to tell you something."

Castle let the words ricochet around in his brain. _What could it be? She's not pregnant._ He remembered that conversation well. It was two weeks ago. He thought she was postponing what was to be date number three. He had almost forgotten about their little mishap and the possible consequences. _Almost._ She was dropping him off at his building, and pulled it into park saying those very words: _I need to tell you something._ When she told him she wasn't pregnant, he felt relief. It was obvious she wasn't ready, and their relationship was just too new. There was a fleeting moment of disappointment, quickly followed by the excitement of being able to do it right. That night on their date, he expressed that very sentiment, and she agreed. "I think that someday, Castle, I might like to have your baby." As if he needed any more of an incendiary device to make him want her more.

Kate cleared her throat, drawing him back to the present. "Don't hurt yourself, Castle. It's nothing bad—or even about us. It's about Avery."

Avery was Castle's favorite among Kate's sisters. She was the oldest and most level-headed and even-tempered. Maggie and Castle had only met a couple of times before, and both times there was friction. Maggie and Avery were both going to be at the dinner party tonight. Butterflies frantically jockeyed for position in his stomach just thinking about putting up with Maggie.

"Don't tell me she won't be there. I don't even want to hear it."

"No, she'll be there. She'll have company with her."

"A date? Avery's bringing a date?" Avery's husband, Jacob, had passed away three years ago, leaving her with three young girls to raise. As far as Rick knew, she hadn't dated anyone since.

"She's not calling it a date. They're 'friends' she says." Kate rolled her eyes, a talent all of the Beckett women had mastered. "It's obvious to everyone but her that he's completely in love with her."

"What! Who is this guy? I don't like him."

"Are you jealous?"

"No. Why would I be jealous? I'm dating you not her."

"And yet I think that if you had met her before me, things might be different." Kate smirked.

"Objection! Speculation." Castle claimed. "And I plead the fifth."

Beckett laughed. His latest Nikki Heat book started off in a court room, and with his "research," his entire law vernacular was used constantly. "Whatever. I wouldn't blame you, you know. She's great. It's actually quite flattering."

"Yeah, well, even though I'm planning on trying to steal home tonight, I'm not going to swing at that one." Rick glanced over just in time to see her cheeks flush. "Now, who is this guy, and how is it that Maggie hasn't driven him off yet?"

"Do you remember Dr. Ballard?"

"Name rings a bell. Wait, isn't that the neurosurgeon that drilled holes in your head?" Kate nodded. Every time someone referenced her unfortunate incident she had to fight the urge to touch the spot on her head. It could have been so much worse. "That's the guy?"

"Yep. That's the guy. They met the day of my surgery and have basically been inseparable since. Well, as _friends_ at least." Kate pulled the car in front of Emma and Jorge's brownstone and slipped the car in park. "Anyway, I just wanted to give you a 'heads up.' His first name is Geoff."

It was two weeks before Thanksgiving, and Emma and Jorge's place was completely decorated for it, right down to the pilgrim salt and pepper shakers and turkey candles.

"I didn't realize that people decorated for Thanksgiving." Castle commented, as he kissed Emma on the cheek in greeting, "I mean people other than me."

"Luke liked to decorate for everything. It was really tough during those months that have no major holiday. We had to always come up with something." Emma's eyes sparkled as she talked about the son she lost. "There's no better way to honor his memory."

"You amaze me." Kate said as she took off her jacket and handed it to Jorge.

"Yeah, well, takes one to know one." Emma winked. "I need to talk to you later. Both of you."

"I didn't do it." Castle exclaimed, holding his hands up.

"I know. She told me." Emma said nonchalantly and chuckled at Castle's clueless face. "Come on. Every one is in the kitchen."

Everyone _was_ in the kitchen. Emma and Jorge had invited Avery, Geoff, Maggie, Justin, Kate and Rick to their house for a pre-holiday dinner party sans children. Even Ethan and Noah were upstairs with a babysitter. Rick and Kate made their way in, greeting everyone and Rick introduced himself to Geoff and Justin. Maggie was extremely nice to Rick, which surprised him and made him a little suspicious. Justin stood next to Rick as he made himself a vodka martini. The women in the room were drinking some sort of cranberry/raspberry vodka thing that Maggie had created.

"We'll have to keep an eye on them." Justin leaned into Rick as he spoke. "That raspberry vodka tastes like nothing. Last week Avery came over for dinner and Maggie tried it out on her. Needless to say, she and the girls stayed the night. Avery had five of them. Didn't feel a thing. Woke up the next morning hurting. Avery never has more than two glasses of wine."

"And yet she's still drinking them." Rick mused as he watched them congregate like hens and tell stories.

"It's her first one." Rick heard from Geoff. "I've been asked to cut her off after two. I would have given my eye teeth to see her last weekend though."

"Is that what you're waiting for? Her to get drunk?" Justin jibed.

"Hell no! That would ruin everything." Geoff interjected. "If anything ever happens between us, she has to be sober. I can't afford to lose her."

"I hear you, man." Castle stated. "Kate pretty much calls the shots at this point. I can't imagine my life without her."

Jorge walked over with a grin on his face. "Are you talking about the Beckett sisters? Because they're talking about you."

Geoff and Rick looked over at the group of women. Rick caught Avery's glance and she winked at him. "That raspberry vodka really does loosen her up." He thought out loud.

Maggie, Avery, Kate and Emma were standing by the stove while Emma was stirring gravy, trying to get it to thicken. "So, Kate, are you still holding out on Ricky over there?" Emma said like she was asking her if she thought it would rain.

Kate almost inhaled her drink as she shot daggers at Avery. "I'm not going to tell you anything ever again!" She chuckled.

"Like you can keep secrets from me. That wasn't a secret by the way. You didn't say not to tell." Avery took a sip and caught Rick's eye across the room. She winked. "It slipped out when I told them you weren't pregnant."

"Yeah, well, next time I'll just wait for my period instead of freaking out and getting you to run a blood test." Kate muttered. Her statement ignited Maggie.

"You had better be planning on having a baby if there's a next time. You're too old for mistakes. What am I saying? The poor guy can't even get back in your pants. It's been a month for crying out loud, fish or cut bait."

"We are not going to spend the entire night talking about my sex life."

"What sex life?" Emma inserted. "Sounds like to me the fire is gone." She was grinning.

"Really? You all know good things come to those who wait."

Maggie's dirty mind couldn't help itself. "But do those who wait get to come?" They all burst out laughing, drawing the attention of the four men in the room.

Justin called Maggie to the floor. "What kind of dirty joke are you telling over there Mags?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just twisting some words for Mr. Castle's benefit." Rick turned and Kate saw it coming.

"I knew you were being too nice Maggie." He said.

"Hey, I was defending you." Maggie said shamelessly. "I told Kate that you had suffered enough and she should go ahead and sleep with you again. She said, 'Good things come to those who wait.' All I could say was…"

"Oh no." Justin chuckled.

"'But do those who wait get to come?' I'm fighting for you, dude."

Kate was blushing a bright crimson. Rick just shook his head. "Welcome to the family, man." Justin said, offering his hand. "I've known Kate since she was eleven. I've never heard so much about a guy come from her mouth. These Beckett women are amazing. Tough to catch, but worth it."

Dinner was enjoyed by all. Emma had never been much of a cook, but she quit her job six months after Luke died, and HGTV and the Food Network was pretty much all she watched these days. Her culinary skills had greatly improved. They were all having a great time and the conversation never seemed to lag. Having a cop, a midwife, a neurosurgeon and a Spaniard at the table kept things flowing. Between dinner and dessert, Avery's cell phone rang. It was Johanna.

"Mom! You have to come home quick! Lily is bleeding really bad." The mature preteen sounded very anxious.

"Johanna? Where is Leah?" Leah had been the family nanny since Little Kate was born, over seven years ago.

"Leah is in the bathroom with Lily. She said to call you. I think she needs stitches. Should I call 911?"

"Where is she bleeding?" When Avery asked that question, every head at the table turned to her. Kate glanced at Castle and her heart warmed seeing the concern on his face. Upon seeing the look on Avery's face, Geoff jumped up and went to grab their coats.

"Her foot, mom. Her foot is really bleeding. I bet Kate that she couldn't do a round-off back handspring and she was saying she could, that she learned it in gymnastics. So she did one down the hallway. Her foot hit one of the pictures on the wall and when it hit the floor, it broke. Lily was going downstairs to tell Leah, because they were supposed to be in bed, and she stepped on a big piece of glass. It's really in there and Leah won't pull it out. She said it would bleed more."

"Okay, sweetie. Leah is doing the right thing. Geoff and I are on our way. Don't call 911. I'll take her to the hospital. Oh and Johanna?"

"Yeah, mom?" Johanna's voice was hesitant.

"Don't think that there isn't a punishment in store for you and Kate. You both knew better."

"Yes ma'am."

"I love you, baby. See you in a few." Avery hung up the phone and realized that the entire table was looking at her expectantly.

"It's too long a story to go into now, but I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Lily probably needs stitches in her foot." Avery got up and headed toward Geoff, who had his jacket on and was holding hers so she could slip into it. When she looked up at Geoff, he gave her a half-grin and said, "It'll be fine. I'll go with you." When Avery rested her head against his chest for a second, every person at the table noticed.

"Call if you need anything." Maggie said. They all murmured in agreement. They would all be there for Avery and Lily if they needed them.

Once Geoff and Avery left, the table was silent for three seconds. Castle couldn't hold it in any longer, "They've known each other for three months already and neither one realize that the other is smitten? What kind of magic do you Beckett women use on us men anyway? I feel for any guy that tries to date Johanna, Kate or Lily."

"Amen." Jorge and Justin recited in unison.

They ate dessert and the conversation migrated from how Lily cut her foot (no one knew yet), to how Avery was ever going to see what she had with Geoff, to (thanks to Maggie) whether or not Rick Castle would want to risk having a Beckett daughter in the future. Neither Kate nor Rick wanted to have this conversation publicly, so it was quickly squashed by Kate. "Maggie, is the reason you're so interested in other people's sex lives because you're not getting any at home?" Kate was working on her fourth vodka drink and was feeling a little adventurous.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Kate. Justin piped up, "Let's go remedy that, Mags." He stood and they started to go. They all went into the living room to see them off. Maggie turned back as they were headed out the door. "I hope you get to take her home, Rick." She wagged her eyebrows at him, "She needs to get laid."

"Maggie!" Everyone collectively gasped at her, including Justin who whisked her out the door muttering apologies and swearing her off raspberry vodka for the rest of her life.

Later, when the four of them were all sitting around the living room, Emma approached a new subject.

"Before you got here earlier, I was telling your sisters that we are having Ethan baptized on December seventh. I hope you both will come."

"Absolutley! We'd love to." Castle claimed before Kate could answer.

"Thanks, Castle. You seem pretty sure I don't have any plans for that day." Kate tried to sound annoyed.

"Like you would miss that." He knew her too well.

"Anyway, I hope you're feelings aren't hurt, but we asked Avery to be his Godmother. We still want both of you to stand up with us when we do it, please don't be upset." Emma was truly nervous about Kate's reaction.

"Emma, don't worry about it. I understand completely. Avery is definitely more qualified for the job. You know God and I have issues."

Emma looked over at Jorge and grabbed his hand. "That's not the reason why we didn't ask you, Kate. You were our first choice. But we thought it would be a little much."

"A little much for what?" Kate was confused, but Castle thought he was getting a handle on it.

"I think I'll go start on the dishes," he said, trying to excuse himself.

"No. You stay." Emma commanded. "You are part of this too."

"I really don't see how I'm involved here."

Kate was getting annoyed. Clearly she was the only one in the room who was clueless. "Shit! What was I drinking? Did I pass out and miss something? What is going on?"

"Kate, we'd like to take you up on your offer if it still stands." Emma gushed before Kate could get any more upset.

"Oh." Kate took a deep breath.

**A/N: BTW I think this is going to be a long one. That's why I picked the title…it can go the distance. However, if it sucks, then it could be short…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's taken this long. Life has been happening at breakneck speed. I think I may be able to list this as AU now, but what am I saying? You all watch the show. Kate and Rick belong to ABC. This one is a little short, but I figured it desperately needed an update.**

**Chapter 2**

The drive back to her apartment was silent. Rick was driving, seeing as he had two martinis to her five Key Westinis, as Maggie called them. Kate's mind was reeling, going through all of the scenarios in her head.

Rick looked over at Kate who was blindly staring out the passenger side window. The conversation they had with Jorge and Emma seemed to surprise her. He couldn't decide if she was excited or terrified. _Probably a little of both. Just like me._ They talked about this "offer" on their first date. She had mentioned it at the hospital visiting Emma, and he called her on it.

"_So this 'offer' you made to Emma…. A surrogate, right?"_

_Kate had almost choked on her wine. They were sitting in this posh Italian bistro that was well known to the upper echelons of society. They had a private table, which meant that anyone wanting an autograph would have to know they were there. Castle was famous, but the paparazzi generally had bigger fish to fry. They weren't waiting on his every move, but showing up at a restaurant that was frequented by celebs, that warranted a few photographs. It was no secret to the world that they were here. They had privacy now though._

"_Yeah." Kate looked at him over her glass. Taking another sip, she said, "Crazy, right?"_

"_Maybe a little. But also sweet. How did that come about?"_

"_Last year, Jorge had a vasectomy reversal. Six weeks later, Emma was pregnant."_

"_So right away, huh? I mean my understanding is that it takes six weeks to recover from that kind of surgery."_

"_How do you know that, Castle?"_

"_Research." He smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye._

"_Anyway, three months later she lost the baby." Kate stared into her wine, the familiar crease appearing between her brows. "I couldn't help but think, 'Really? After all they've been through? This couldn't have been easy?'"_

_Rick nodded, patiently waiting for her to continue._

"_Four months later and she still wasn't pregnant again. I remember having dinner with her and she said, 'What if I can't get pregnant again? I mean, I'm almost forty. What if my eggs are bad? I guess we could adopt, but I really think Jorge wants his baby, especially after what he went through.' I went home and thought about it. The next day I went over there and told them I would do it. So they said they would think about it. We had an appointment with the fertility specialists, but Emma found out she was pregnant so…" Kate shook her head slightly as if trying to figure it out herself. "I guess I told her it still stands because I believe they deserve happiness." She looked up at him as close to tears as he'd ever seen her. "Is that crazy?"_

_Castle reached across the table and took her hand. "It's who you are. Not crazy, I mean, just selfless."_

"A penny for your thoughts." Kate drew him back to the present.

"Just tossing it all around in my head. Still not sure why they think I need to be part of the decision making."

"They told you why. Are we in a relationship or aren't we?"

Rick nodded, "I think so."

"Is this serious or will it be over soon?"

"You know that's up to you, Kate. I would walk through the valley of the shadow of death for you." If he could have seen her face, the desire in her eyes would have pierced his heart.

"Then you have to be part of the decision. I could be pregnant with another man's child for nine months. There's no telling if it would be an easy pregnancy or a difficult one, but even easy pregnancies can be trying to the most solid of relationships. Then there's delivery and I've heard it's emotionally rough to give up a child even as a surrogate. Plus the six weeks of abstinence." Kate's heart started to pound; her hands started to tremble. "Oh my God. How am I ever going to be able to do this? What was I thinking?"

Rick pulled the hybrid into a fortunate spot in front of her building. As they entered the building they were both silent, pondering Kate's last statements. Silence continued into the apartment. It was both comfortable and uncomfortable. Both knew what the other was thinking about, neither knew what to say.

Rick meandered into the kitchen while Kate steered herself towards the bathroom. As she released her hair she thought about the prospect of becoming a surrogate. It was her idea, so how could she now say no? And yet, the thought actually scared her to death. But it wasn't really being pregnant that scared her; it was what it would do to her and therefore what it would do to their relationship.

Avery had morning sickness with each pregnancy, but Little Kate's was the worst. The vomiting lasted for five months. Avery took expensive anti-nausea drugs meant for chemo patients and she still lost fifteen pounds. Kate looked at her figure in the mirror. She was already almost underweight; a loss of fifteen pounds would…she shuddered to think. Maggie ate everything in sight all three times. With Jonathan she gained sixty pounds. Again, Kate wondered how her body might take this. What would Rick think when that happened and it wasn't even his child?

_Time to take the bull by the horns._

Kate removed her clothes down to her bra and underwear and left the bathroom to stand in the doorway to the living room. Castle was sitting on the couch with a glass of what looked like whiskey in front of him. His gaze was fixed to the television. "I just don't see how the cheetah ever lets them get away. She's faster than the deer. How is this possible? Must be staged." He says to Kate, never looking her way.

"Maybe the cheetah isn't paying attention." Her tone got his attention and he looked at her. His eyes widened.

"Kate? Did I miss something?"

"Avery lost fifteen pounds due to morning sickness when she was pregnant with Kate. Maggie gained sixty with Jonathan. Look at my body and tell me you could handle either of those scenarios."

Rick walked over to her and pulled her into the room. Then he walked around her. Kate's whole body seemed to blush under his scrutiny. He placed his hand on her hip and her flesh broke out in goose bumps. Kissing her shoulder, he began his verbal assessment. "Well, a fifteen pound loss would be bad. You certainly don't need to lose any weight. But the loss of the weight wouldn't bother me as much as the tossing of the cookies. I'll admit there will be a lot of things that you would go through that would be tough for me to watch. But I will stand by you, no matter what." He rested his chin on her shoulder and his hands slid around to rest on her taut stomach; she trembled. "I really don't see you letting sixty pounds happen, but if you do, I'll gain it with you and we can lose it together."

"Oh no you don't!" She peeled his hands off of her and rounded on him. "That's crap. There is absolutely no reason for the man to gain any weight. Don't you dare gain one pound with me."

Rick held up his hands and moved towards her. "It sounds like you've already decided to do it." His eyes twinkled with a mixture of awe and adoration.

As his hands found her hips again, he leaned down and kissed her gently. Kate reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. "I want to do it for them, but I'm not willing to risk our relationship to do it."

"What are you doing?" He murmured.

"If you haven't figured it out yet, be patient. I believe you'll catch on." She teased.

Castle brought his hands to hers, stilling them. "This has been quite a night, maybe I shouldn't take advantage."

Fire burned in her eyes as she shook off his hands and paced the room. Rick watched her oscillate in her black bra and panties, chewing on her nail. She stopped and gazed at him. "Did you or did you not tell me earlier that you were 'planning on stealing home tonight?'"

"Well, yeah, but I said stealing. You're not even looking for the ball, just picking daisies in left field."

"So you want me to put up a fight? Play hard to get? Because really, I'm not in the mood for a fight, and I cannot believe you haven't had enough 'hard to get.' We just had a discussion about my carrying Jorge and Emma's child and what that's going to be like. I'm pretty sure that brings us past five dates. I just want to climb in bed with you, wrestle naked and sleep with you next to me." She looked at him and shook her head. "If you can't do that, then you need to leave. I'm not working tomorrow, so don't call me early. I think I'll sleep in." She stormed past him towards the bedroom. As she passed by he snagged her wrist and pulled her to him, crushing her lips to his. Like a slow dance, they make their way to the bedroom, reacquainting their bodies.

"I'm sorry," Rick uttered between kisses.

"Shut up."

"I just want you to know…" Kate slid his shirt off his body and kissed her way across his chest as her deft fingers made quick work of his belt and jeans. With the sound of denim hitting the floor, her hands slid around his waist, under the boxers, and glided over his ass. He gasped and she pulled back to look in his eyes.

"What?" She said breathily.

"Huh?"

Kate's eyes widened slightly her head shook as if out of instinct. "You want me to know…?" She gave a slight squeeze and watched his intellect disengage from the situation completely. If Castle had been able to think, he would have recognized the playful look in her eyes and the slightly agape position of her mouth as her enjoyment of his present flustered state. That's when desire took over completely and he uttered three words that drove the night into a frenzied state. He didn't need to steal home, because he knocked it out of the park.

"I want you."

Even though they had only spent one night together a month before, their bodies were made for each other; they were perfectly in sync, the rhythm and timing as if gears perfectly aligned. He took her over the edge twice, and the second time she held on tight and took him with her.

Kate lay in his arms, the soothing rhythm of his restful breathing just under her head, and she contemplated the fork in the road in front of her. The road. A funny term for the journey that life presents. A road suggests u-turns are possible or maybe life could "back up." But really life is more like a tightly hand-stitched quilt and each fork a new square. To remove a square, the needle doesn't just go back through the cloth and remove the stitches it made. Even the sharpest eye and most nimble fingers fail. There is no gentle removal of the square; it must be ripped out. And that hurts.

But a finished quilt can be exquisitely beautiful.

_I love him._ It was true. She did, and even though neither of them dared proclaim it outright, she knew he felt the same. Truth was the words didn't matter much. The actions truly do speak louder, and not just the sex, which was undeniably good. But then some words were actions in themselves_: I would walk through the valley of the shadow of death for you. _She smiled and sleep overcame her as new square was being stitched into the life of Kate Beckett.


	3. Chapter 3

**So don't get your hopes up with my posting so quickly. I plan on working on my other stories some now. Plus, I have to memorize lines and solos, so I have a lot on my plate right now. But I felt the need to post this to answer some good questions some of you had about my story line. I'm listening to you, but I already told you I've gone AU with this one. I own Avery, Geoff, Emma and Jorge. Everything else belongs to ABC and Mr. Marlowe.**

**Chapter 3**

Rick awoke with the sunlight squeezing through his eyelids. Letting his eyes adjust, he remembered where he was and who he was with. Looking over at the woman in the bed with him, his mind reflected on the events of the past evening. He replayed the conversation with Jorge and Emma before they left last night.

"_Kate, we'd like to take you up on your offer if it still stands."_

"_Oh."_

"_I'm sorry, maybe we should talk about this when you don't have so much alcohol in your bloodstream."_

"_No, no. I'm sobering up pretty quickly now. So you want me to carry a baby for you."_

"_Yeah, and there's the fact that you can't drop a bombshell like that on us and say, 'Oh we can talk about it later.'"_

"_I really want to make sure you want to. I realize that last year you meant it. But a month ago, when you offered, well, it was a very emotional time. You aren't known for saying things you don't mean, but things are changing for you. You are embarking on a new relationship, and you might want to have your own baby. Gosh, this is a harder conversation than I thought it would be." Emma took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but she was still shaking._

_Jorge took over, "What she's trying to say is that we would like to have another baby. A sibling for Ethan. Noah is so much older and with the Autism, he isn't likely to be much of a playmate. Our siblings are all too far away, and well, you, Emma, Avery and Maggie could all be sisters. Avery's pregnancies almost killed her though, and there's no way we would ask Maggie." Rick nodded grandly in understanding._

_Jorge continued, "If you still want to do this, we'll accept your offer. The reason we're bringing this to you so soon though is because, we figure that with you engaging in this relationship with Rick, we don't want to infringe upon __**your**__ time to have a child if you want."_

"_We don't want an answer now. Go home and talk about it. We'll love you both no matter what."_

"_Can I ask a question?" Rick chimed in._

"_Sure."_

"_I'm assuming that this will be in vitro or artificial insemination, but would the child be half Kate's or will you be able to use Emma's eggs?"_

"_I still have my ovaries. But it's questionable with the trauma, they may not produce. If we can't get my eggs fertilized, we're done. I'm not going to ask you to go through egg donation; this would be Jorge's and my baby."_

_Kate nodded. "I'll think about it and I'll let you know."_

_Emma stood and wrapped her arms around Kate's middle. "I love you, Kate. And that won't change. If you say, 'no,' we'll understand completely."_

She was sleeping so peacefully now, the sunlight dancing across her face. He remembered what it was like when Meredith was expecting Alexis. He doted on her and was a good husband, but Alexis was the prize. If Kate chose to do this, the prize goes to Emma and Jorge. Rick sighed. Looking at Kate, he couldn't imagine ever not loving her, but he knew that sometimes things didn't turn out the way you thought they would.

Kate continued to sleep as Rick moved about the apartment. He made coffee, called Alexis, surfed the net, and decided at ten-thirty to make breakfast. The smell of bacon drew her to the kitchen. Kate had thrown on sweats and thick socks for the cold morning.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"Coffee," she muttered hoarsely as she snagged a hot piece of bacon off the paper-towel lined plate. She grabbed a mug and made it just the way she liked it when the buzzer alerted her that she had company.

It was Avery. Kate buzzed her up, and looked forward to discussing last night's events with her most reasonable sister. But that wasn't in the cards. Avery entered the apartment dressed similarly to Kate—in sweats, but she still had on her slippers and her hair was still wet in places from the shower. What disturbed Kate the most was her tear-stained face. Avery rarely cried.

"Avery, what's wrong?"

"I'm so stupid, Kate, and I've ruined everything."

Avery's voice drew Castle out of the kitchen. "Hey, Avery. Want some breakfast?"

"Oh, God. I'm interrupting your morning. I'll call you later." She turned to leave but Kate blocked the door.

"No way. You're staying. Spill it."

"Yes, stay Avery. I made enough French toast for a family of five. And I want to here how you ruined everything."

Kate and Avery made their way into the living room. Rick brought Avery a cup of coffee.

Kate began her interrogation in earnest. "Kate, what's wrong? Is it Lily?"

Avery shook her head. "Lily's fine, well, at least she's going to be. It's about Geoff."

"Start at the beginning."

Castle went back in the kitchen and returned with three plates with French toast and bacon. Avery paced back and forth (another Beckett trait) and Rick and Kate sat side by side, eating.

"When we arrived home last night, I thought I had prepared myself for the situation. Lily had a pretty substantial piece of glass stuck in her foot. I knew we were taking her to the hospital. Geoff and Leah had Lily on the kitchen counter and were looking at the wound, while I went upstairs to talk to Johanna and Kate. When I got to the top of the stairs I got sick. There was blood everywhere; it looked like a massacre had occurred in the hallway. So I went in Lily and Kate's bathroom to splash some water on my face and I was greeted with more blood. I started throwing up, which scared Kate and she ran downstairs to get Geoff. When he got there, I was still vomiting." Avery blushed. What was it about the act of throwing up that was so humiliating?

"I'm sure he's seen people vomit before, Avery. Hell, that doesn't even faze me." Rick stated around a mouthful of French toast. Kate stared at him. "What?"

"Manners?"

"Oh, sorry."

"I'm starting at the beginning like you asked. Be patient." Avery scolded. "So Geoff calms everyone down, including me, saying we'll get cleaners out there, everyone's okay for the most part we just need to get Lily to the hospital. Leah stayed with Kate and Johanna and everyone went to bed. Geoff and I took Lily to the children's hospital. Geoff has privileges there, so we went right in the ER. The ortho guy came down and pulled the glass out after they sedated Lily. He said everything looked good, so they stitched it up and said everything we already know: keep it dry, she needs to stay off of it for a week, yadda, yadda, yadda." Avery took a sip of her coffee and a deep breath.

"I was just losing it, ya know? The blood, the stitches, the discipline for Johanna and Kate that I was trying to come up with. I just got so pissed at Jacob for leaving me. When we got back home it was two-thirty this morning. Geoff carried Lily into the house and put her in my bed. I went straight to the kitchen and poured a glass of Macallan. Downed it and poured another. Downed that one. By the time Geoff came to find me, I was on the back porch, sitting on the rail, working on number four." Castle's eyebrows couldn't go any higher.

"Avery!" Kate was stunned. "You were sitting on the rail of the back balcony working on your fourth drink? Were you trying to die?"

"You drink Macallan neat?" Rick asked.

"I can tell you that at the moment I didn't care if I did die. I felt like a failure, Kate. Like I couldn't do it without him. Without Jacob." Avery took a bite of bacon and continued. "It gets better. When Geoff came out there, I kissed him. I was totally sloshed and I kissed him. He tried to tell me it was a bad idea, but I wouldn't listen." She sat down and crossed her legs like a child, placing her face in her hands.

"Avery, did you sleep with him?"

"No. But we were headed that way. He was on top of me on the couch. Neither one of us was wearing a shirt, when we heard a loud thud and then Lily was screaming. She had fallen out of my bed. We threw our shirts back on and got her back in the bed. Geoff slept on one side of her and I slept on the other, but Kate, oh my God, how am I ever going to look him in the eye again?"

"What happened this morning?"

"He left a note saying he had to go in, there was an emergency, and that he would call me later. I didn't see him." Avery took a deep breath, "You know, he's my friend and I'd hate to lose him, but what's worse is that the girls really love him."

"Let me give you my professional, expert opinion as a man. He likes you. He likes you a lot. I saw that last night in the way he looked at you. Right now, he is beating himself up just like you. I'll bet he feels guilty about last night, like he took advantage of you."

"But he didn't…"

"Which is exactly why you need to talk to each other. There. That's my two cents worth." Rick stood and gathered the plates.

As he walked into the kitchen Avery said to Kate, "I like him."

"Who? Castle or Geoff?"

"Well, both, but I like Castle for you. It's a good fit."

"Yeah." Kate nodded, thinking about their predicament. "I wonder how long it will take me to screw this up."

"What's up, Katie?"

"Emma and Jorge want me to have their baby."

"Oh." Avery paused, "Well, all you needed this morning was your sister barging in on you to talk about her own problems, huh?"

"Actually, I welcome the distraction."

"What did you say?"

"That I'd think about it."

"What did Castle say?"

"So far, he's being supportive." Castle was listening around the corner. "Maybe he could deal with that for nine months, but that's an awful lot to ask."

"How do you feel about it?"

"A big part of me wants to do it. For them, but also for me, although, I can't quite put my finger on 'why.' I'm thirty years old. That's plenty of time for Castle and me to have our own child after this. I don't know, Avery." Kate shook her head. "I don't want to lose him."

Kate and Avery sat in silence for a few minutes, just drinking their coffee. Kate hopped up. "I'm going to get in the shower."

"Do I need to leave?"

"No. Why?"

"Just didn't know if you'd want him to join you."

"Oh, please. Shower sex is so overrated. Way too slippery. Someone always gets hurt. I mean, that's what I've always heard."

"I don't know. I mean from my experience…"

"STOP! I don't want to hear it. Be here when I get out."

Avery chuckled and went into the kitchen to get more coffee. Castle was leaning up against the counter watching her, staring actually.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop staring."

"Why?"

"Because it's creepy, that's why."

"Do you know that if I close my eyes, I almost can't tell the difference between your voice and Kate's? Maggie has the same voice too, but she says things Kate never would, but you, well, you talk like her."

"I know. I'll call Justin and just say, 'Hey' and he'll say, 'Hi honey, can you…?' Sometimes I toy with him. You're still staring."

"Can't help it. I keep imagining you topless on your couch with Geoff."

"You know, I may be smaller then Kate, and I don't carry a gun, but I am a black belt, and I'll break your knees if you don't stop."

He smirked at her.

"You were eavesdropping on our conversation earlier."

"Yes."

"What do you really think?"

"I want her to be happy. I don't want to lose her. If she does this, I'm going to wish the whole time that it was my child and not theirs. What if this is such a miserable experience that she decides to never do it again? What if what happened to Emma happens to Kate and she can't have anymore children? What if this kills her?

"I mean, I have Alexis. If Kate didn't want children to start with, then I would be fine with that decision. But I know she wants to have her own child. Even then, I think we could survive it. What scares me most is losing her."

"You would have that fear even if she was carrying your child."

"Yes." His face showed his worry. Avery grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the living room.

"Come sit with me. I need to tell you something."

They sat side by side on the couch and Avery pulled a knee under her and turned towards him. "What do you know about what happened to Luke?"

"I know it was a freak plane accident. Kate said she had to stay with Luke, with his body, so they wouldn't do an autopsy."

"Emma was out of the country, in Brazil, when it happened. Kate was called almost immediately, by the police in Westchester County. Jorge gave them her name and she drove there immediately. Noah wasn't as injured, so they took him to the children's hospital. Jorge and Luke were taken to the local hospital, Jorge because he wasn't seriously injured and Luke because he was. By the time Kate arrived, Luke was already in transit to the children's hospital. It gave her hope that maybe he would be okay. But as soon as Jorge saw her, he said, 'I don't think Luke's going to make it.'"

Avery took a deep breath. She listened to the shower running and thought about her baby sister. The grief and sorrow she'd endured. All of the bad news she had to deliver as part of her job. She looked at Castle and saw her emotions reflected in his face.

"Kate was driving Jorge to the children's hospital when Emma called her. The hospital had called Emma, because Jorge's phone was destroyed in the crash. Emma told Kate that Luke didn't make it. She wanted Kate to tell Jorge. She asked Kate not to leave him, that she was worried about his state of mind. Kate pulled over on the side of the highway and told Jorge that Luke didn't make it. She held him for ten minutes on the side of the road while he sobbed."

Tears ran down Castle's face as he thought of the grief a father must feel at the loss of his child and as he thought of the pain Kate must have felt.

"At the hospital, Kate sat with him when the doctors explained what happened, that Luke bled out internally. She went with him when he saw the body. When no one else had the strength to stay, she did. She held Jorge; she held Luke's hand and wiped the blood that ran from his mouth as his father held him tight. And when Jorge left to go check on Noah, Kate stayed so Emma would be able to see her son whole. Emma called Kate several times that night. Emma didn't know what to do. She was just waiting on her flight so she could go home and bury her son. One time when she called, Kate asked her if there was anything else she could do for her. Emma said, 'If you don't mind, if it's not too gross, would you give Luke a kiss for me and tell him I love him?' So she did."

Rick Castle's head was buried in his hands, tears dropping on his jeans.

"So, you see, that night Kate was Jorge's wife and Luke's mother. She stood in for Emma because someone had to; she delivered awful news, and she couldn't promise justice. She said goodbye to a child, not her child, but that night he was. I think that the reason she wants to do this, the reason she can't put her finger on, is so she can bring good news to her best friend. To bring life, to bring hope, into the world. To bring this full circle and finally get some closure on something."

"How is she still walking around? How are you? I have never before in my life come across a stronger group of people than you Beckett women. The problem is, I'm not that strong."

"Well, write about it or something, but deal with it. I'm not sure she's going to go through with it, but I know she is seriously thinking about it. She's mostly worried about losing you."

Castle nodded. They heard the shower turn off. Avery went to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Come in." Kate knew that either of the two people in her apartment had already seen her naked.

"Hey, I'm going to take off." Avery said, stepping into the steam.

"Why? I'm not working today. I thought we could hang out, maybe shopping or a movie or something."

"Call me later. We might be able to do that. I need to talk to Geoff and you and Castle need to talk."

"Okay." Kate nodded. "I'll call you later."

Avery gathered her things to leave. She found Rick in the kitchen again, drinking more coffee. Avery surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He returned the hug.

"What's that for?"

"Thought you might need one. I know I did." She winked at him. "See you later. Take care of her."

"As much as she'll let me."

Avery left and Rick went searching for Kate. He found her in the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her gathering clothes to wear. She turned when she heard him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." He took the clothes from her hands and put them in a chair. Kissing her he pulled the towel off and ran his hands over her body.

"What are you doing?" She moaned as his lips left her mouth and assaulted her collar bone.

"If you haven't figured it out yet, be patient. I believe you'll catch on."

**A/N: This was pretty hastily written. If I get back to it and notice the mistakes in time, I may edit later. Sorry to the grammar Nazis.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the time delay. I will never do three stories at one time again. The first part of this chapter is developing Avery's character. Let me know how you like it (or not) and if you'd like to see anyone else. If this seems to take you somewhere you don't want to go…remember I'm full of surprises.**

**Chapter 4**

Avery's trip back home was uneventful. She pulled the racing green Porsche 911 GT2 in to the garage. It was her most impractical possession, but she loved it. Jacob had surprised her with a silver Porsche on her birthday the year he died. She tried to love it and enjoy it, but she couldn't. So she took it back to the dealer and traded it in for the GT2. She chalked it up to part of moving on, but a small part of her felt guilty with the luxury. Jacob left her very comfortable; between his life insurance, retirement savings and investments, Avery was pretty sure she never had to work again. But she loved her job. She was the most sought after midwife in the city and her birth center was extremely lucrative. Even if she decided to stop delivering babies, her family could live off of her profits from the center. She hoped that she wouldn't need what Jacob left her.

In the car, she couldn't help but think about the possibility of Kate being a surrogate for Jorge and Emma. She knew it would be good for Kate in some ways, but she also knew that Rick Castle was good for her, period. It would be interesting to see how it all played out.

Her own situation though…she felt like her heart was being wringed inside her chest. They were just friends right? He had never made a pass at her before. She didn't have those feelings for him. Last night, well, that was just stress and alcohol, right? She remembered thinking he was a great kisser and loving the way his hands felt on her body, but she was scotch impaired to say the least. _But he wasn't._ Thank God, since he apparently was holding sharp instruments in someone's brain later that morning. Avery shook her head. _I sure can pick 'em. Brilliant men attract me._

Wait a minute. Did she just think that? She's attracted to him? Avery's heart clipped along and her face flushed. She _was _attracted to him.

Avery hopped out of the sports car and took inventory of her garage. She just recently replaced all of her vehicles. It was the Avery Moore 'stimulus plan' her sisters had joked. Truth is stress made her want to shop, and between the excitement of Kate's neurological mishap, Ethan's birth and Emma's subsequent emergency hysterectomy, Avery was completely stressed. She wasn't, however, completely frivolous, but she liked nice things; Avery was like her mother that way. She owned three cars: the Porsche, a black Range Rover and a silver Audi S6.

Technically, she owned a fourth car, Leah's car, a Honda CR-V, but Avery put the car in Leah's name and it would be hers if she ever left. Leah was a lifesaver to Avery. After Jacob died, Avery didn't leave her bedroom for a week after the funeral. Maggie and Kate couldn't talk her out of her funk, but Leah, who was wise beyond her then 22 years, asked Avery if this is how she wanted her girls to think women dealt with tragedy, by hiding and wallowing.

Leah had taken the girls to Maggie's that morning, sensing Avery's hangover. So the house was empty. As she walked across the driveway towards the house, Geoff came around from the front. "Hey," he said, sheepishly.

"Good morning, Geoff," Avery said, rather sheepishly herself. Geoff was different from Jacob. Jacob had a runner's physique; he was lean and muscular. Geoff was slightly taller than Jacob had been with broader shoulders and more of a quarterback's body than a runner. She felt her heart beat a little faster when she thought of his bare chest pressed against hers. _Stop it. You are not going there. _ "How did your surgery go?"

"Good, good. Should make a full recovery." He looked at her and took a step closer. "How are you?"

"Better. I went to Kate's and had breakfast with her and Rick."

"So, it looks like she took Maggie's advice."

"Yeah, well, Emma and Jorge might have inadvertently had something to do with it as well." She stood there, looking at him, and her eyes slid from his warm brown eyes to his lips. Unconsciously she pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Clearing her throat she said, "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

Avery walked into the kitchen and immediately hoisted herself onto the bar, sitting "criss-cross applesauce" as Lily would have called it. If she was going to have this conversation, it would be at eye level or as close as she could get. And since Geoff was 6'4," he was a full foot taller than her, so she needed the counter. He leaned against the counter on the other side of the kitchen. It never really crossed her mind that the salt and pepper of his hair was partly due to the fact that he was twelve years her senior, and she told him on occasion how good it looked on him. How could what happened last night turn her thoughts to "sexy"?

"Where are the girls?"

"Leah took them up to Maggie's. I think they're going to see a movie or something."

"Lily shouldn't be putting weight on that foot. She'll tear her stitches."

Avery could feel the anger bubbling inside of her. _I know that! Does he think I'm stupid?_ Rational or not, she took it as an attack of her parenting skills. "I heard the doctor, and I actually have some experience with stitches, so I know that. I made sure Maggie knows that. I wasn't _that_ hung-over this morning."

"I didn't mean…"

"Whatever. Forget it." Avery huffed. Her anger was really directed towards herself. Geoff was just catching the blowback. "I apologize for last night. I don't know what I was thinking. It was a mistake." She was focused purely on what she was saying and missed Geoff moving towards her. "The girls really love you. Please don't—"

His face was inches from hers, and he held her head in his hands. "Before last night, I didn't have the courage to do this. But, even though you had quite enough to drink, I know your feelings for me now." Geoff smirked playfully. "I don't ever want to forget that feeling."

Avery was petrified and ecstatic at the same time. _Christ, I'm acting like a teenager._ She looked from his eyes to his lips and then back to his eyes. He was very close to her and at some point she had placed her hands on his chest. "What feeling?" Avery whispered.

"The feeling of your lips on mine."

Before she knew what was happening, her lips were pressed to his. Avery felt his hand in her hair. God, this felt good. It wasn't that she hadn't been kissed in three years. She went on many first dates, but never a second. A few of those first dates kissed her goodnight and she let them, but she never wanted it to go any further. This was different. She didn't even know who started kissing whom, but she didn't want to let him go. Her hands fisted in his shirt. Untangling her legs and rising up on her knees, Avery felt his hands drift to her hips and her hands caressed his face as she slowed the kiss.

Leaning her forehead to his, she said, "I'm terribly broken, you know."

He nodded. "I know."

"You can't fix me."

"I'm not going to try."

"My heart can handle being broken, but I'm not sure the girls' can again. So if you're not sure about this, we need to stop now."

Geoff leaned in and lightly kissed her. "I'm sure."

"I need to go slow, Geoff. You realize it's been almost twenty years since I've had a 'boyfriend.'"

"I do realize that. We'll go slow. How about we start with a date?"

"A date?"

"Yes. You know, I ask you out. You say, 'yes.' I'll pick you up, maybe bring you flowers. I'll pay for dinner."

"I thought that the rules had changed for dating."

"I'm old school. Call me a romantic."

"Okay."

" 'Okay' you'll call me a romantic?"

"Okay, we can start with a date."

"How about tonight?"

Avery shook her head. "Can't, family night. Besides, I have to go get the girls at Maggie's, and Leah went up to Storrs to see Michael." Leah's boyfriend, Michael, was getting his Masters at UConn.

"I forgot family night." Every Saturday night the Beckett clan met at either Avery's or Maggie's house for a family dinner. Andrew was only there some of the time, because he was usually on assignment in some wilderness. Sometimes Kate missed it due to a case, and sometimes Avery missed when a patient went into labor, but if they could make it they did. Jim Beckett never missed it. "Tomorrow night, then?"

Avery nodded and blushed. "Tomorrow night."

"I'll pick you up at seven."

"Okay. What do I wear?"

"Casual." He leaned in and kissed her again. As their tongues twirled together his hands slid under her sweatshirt to brush against her skin. She moaned and he quickly pulled away. "Slow may be more difficult than I thought."

"Yeah" Avery commiserated, breathing hard.

"I'm going to go now."

"Okay." Avery hopped off the counter and held his hand as they walked to the front door.

"See you tomorrow."

Avery nodded and smiled, rubbing her thumb along the side of his hand before he let go. "Tomorrow"

She watched him get into his car and drive away. "Wow," she said to herself, "that totally didn't go the way I was expecting."

She smiled to herself as she made her way to the bedroom to change her clothes. Avery was looking forward to seeing the looks on Kate and Maggie's faces tonight when she told them. That accompanied with Kate's news should make for very interesting table talk.

* * *

Kate was lying on her stomach in bed, the sheet covering the lower half of her naked body. She hadn't been dressed since her shower and she couldn't remember the last time she spent most of the day naked in bed with a man. But they were avoiding a discussion they seriously needed to have.

"What are you thinking? Round four?"

She laughed. "Later. After food and talk."

"Detective Beckett! Your grammar sucks."

"Yes. Can no longer speak in complete sentences. Mushed brain."

"Well, I think I better go fix something to eat before you are reduced to one word replies."

"Please."

"Oh, no! It 's too late."

Kate laughed as he left the room. She threw on a t-shirt and brushed her teeth.

He returned ten minutes later with a plate of corndogs.

"What in the world? Castle, why are we eating corndogs?"

"They were in your freezer. I thought you liked them."

"No. Lily and Beckett _love_ them. They're very hard to get up here, and thanks to you it looks like I'm going to have to try and find some more."

"Up here?"

"Yeah, Castle. This is a southern thing. The girls would have them when visiting Jacob's parents. Finally, Avery caved and found a way to get them up here. I think they're repulsive. Almost as bad as grits."

"Well, then, it's a good thing I called The Great Wall."

"Then why did you cook all of my corndogs?"

"It's a hotdog wrapped in cornbread and deep fried. How bad can it be?" He lifted the treat by the stick and inspected it.

"Wait." Kate hopped out of bed and returned seconds later with ketchup and mustard. "Dip them in these." She watched as Castle swirled the end of the corndog in the condiments and took a bite.

"I like it!"

She visibly shuddered. "Ugh."

Thirty minutes later when Rick was full of corndogs and Kate could eat no more Szechwan Beef, Kate decided it was time.

"So, if I were Alexis, what would you tell me to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"The surrogacy. What would you tell me to do, I mean, if I were her?"

"In circumstances exactly like these?"

"How else?"

"I'm not sure. I would be honest with you about my concerns. I would talk about it with you as much as you wanted. I would support whatever decision you made in whatever way I can. I would make sure you knew I would give you 110%, because I love you." Her eyes snapped to his in an instant. The love was there; she saw it, and it overwhelmed her. Tears pricked at her eyes. "If you were Alexis that is." Rick's eyes twinkled and she recognized his attempt to relieve the pressure in the room.

"So, what are your concerns?"

"Well, my first concern is that you're only sixteen. Aren't you a little young for this?"

Kate whacked him with a pillow. "Wiseass."

"Seriously, though, what if this experience is so bad that you never want to do it again?"

Kate nodded her head. "That's a valid concern. All I can think is that it would be a different experience carrying Jorge and Emma's child versus carrying yours." He looked at her in amazement. "That's assuming you would want to have more children. It would have to feel different, right? Carrying a child created by love, during love, as opposed to carrying one for someone else. Even if you loved those people and that child."

"What if what happened to Emma happens to you and you _can't _have any more children? Or it kills you?"

"An occasionally wise man once told me 'with risk comes pain and disappointment sometimes.' I could easily be killed on the job tomorrow." Rick shook his head. "Yes, Rick, you know it's true. I can't hide. I can't make decisions based on what might happen, you told me that, remember? When I tried to tell you I might not ever have children? I know it scares you, but I won't live my life governed by fear. Mine or anyone else's."

"I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want that either. But we can't focus on it."

"I'll wish the entire time that the baby was mine."

"Are we planning on having a child in the next year?"

Rick tilted his head and pondered that thought.

"You know we aren't." Kate looked at him incredulously. "But we could look at this as a trial run."

"I think it's a little more than a 'trial run.'"

"I know, but …"

"Hey, wait! Will we still be able to wrestle when you're pregnant? I mean, does the fact that you're a surrogate change that?"

"I will still be able to wrestle, Castle." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Well, okay then. That's it for me."

"That's it?"

"Yep. I mean I'm sure I'll have more questions and concerns as time goes on, but those were the ones in my head." He paused and looked at her pensive face. "What about you?"

"I should have known death and sex would be your two main concerns." Kate chewed on her bottom lip. "I want to do this for her, but I couldn't handle it if you left me."

"Where am I going to go?"

"Have you thought about this? You are in the spotlight. The press will know we're dating, then I'll be obviously pregnant. Then there'll be no baby."

"You know I've never really cared about what the press thinks."

"You're sure?"

He nodded. The grin on Castle's face was priceless. "So how does this work?"

"How does what work?"

"How do we get you 'knocked up'?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, here it is. Better late than never, right? The next chapter will come up faster, since I'm leaving you hanging. This is for you AC, enigmatic, 25SHA, and Sarah (are you reading this from the hospital?). Enjoy**

**Chapter 5**

**Thanksgiving Day**

Justin Kemper walked into his kitchen Thanksgiving morning to the smell of baking sweet potatoes and the rare sight of his wife, Maggie, in an apron rolling out a pie crust. A ham sat on the stove, prepared to meet the heat of the oven, and she had the makings of her cabernet cranberries set out. From the kitchen, Justin and Maggie could see their three boys in the great room. Jonathan and Austin were camped out on the sectional with their handheld videogames monopolizing their attention. Beckett was playing with a Thomas train and watching the floats go by in the parade on television.

They had gotten off on the wrong foot this morning, and if Rick Castle was going to stand a chance at Thanksgiving dinner, Justin needed to smooth it over. He walked behind her to the coffeemaker and used the maneuver to watch her. Maggie's auburn hair was twisted up on top of her head, revealing the creamy white skin on the back of her neck. It was one of the few places on her body that had escaped the out break of freckles that covered the rest of her. Maggie hated them, and she hated that her two fair-skinned, red haired sons would not be able to escape them either. She stood there in his t-shirt and boxers, the ties of the apron knotted, never looking sexier. He still thought about her that way after nineteen years.

"You're staring."

"Yes." He said, offhandedly.

"Well, quit. It's creepy"

Taking a chance he wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Last night was incredible."

"Fuck you, Justin," Maggie muttered under her breath. "You aren't going to get off that easy."

"Oh, but you already did and I did get off easy," he said seductively.

Maggie couldn't hide the smile that slid across her lips. "You're disgusting." She pushed his hands away and placed the pie crust in the dish. "And I'm still pissed at you."

"Maggie, you were out of line and you know it. You can't blame me for siding with Kate on this one."

"You are always griping at me to be nicer to the man. I invite him and his family—"

"Without asking anyone else—"

"—to Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm still a selfish bitch. I fail to see how this makes me selfish. A bitch still, maybe, but not a selfish one."

"They've only been together for, like, six weeks maybe. He's only met your dad once, during terrible circumstances. He's never met Andrew. None of us have ever met his family. And you called him up and asked him to dinner without consulting anyone. Avery is having the dinner at her house and you called her last night to tell her to expect three more people."

Maggie frowned, a sign that she was starting to see his point. "Really I just thought it would make Kate happier to have him there. So when I asked her on Monday if he was coming, she made it sound like she didn't invite him so dinner would be more peaceful. Like we couldn't be civil to one another. I just thought it was the right thing to do." Maggie's tone hardened, "And don't use that six week thing on me. They've known each other for a year almost. And Geoff will be there."

"You know it's not the same, Mags. Geoff doesn't have any family."

"Dammit. I screw up even when I try to do something nice."

"Well, he can't know that there was an issue. And you really have to be nice to him today. His mother and daughter will be there."

"I need more coffee. You didn't take it all did you?" She said, ignoring his remark.

"It's my first cup." He leaned his head over her shoulder and snagged a pecan out of the pie she was making. "Have you had breakfast?"

"No. I made cinnamon rolls for the boys. There's one left over there behind the ham on the stove. I saved it for you." She poured the mixture into the pie crust. "I birthed animals. It was like a feeding frenzy this morning."

"Thank you. How 'bout I make you an omelet. Turkey sausage and cheese? I'm sure you're hungry after our workout last night. No wonder you're so grouchy."

She nodded. "An omelet sounds good."

The fight was over. It started this morning with Kate calling at six, yelling at Maggie for going out of bounds. Apparently, Castle thought that Kate knew about the whole thing and asked her what time to be at Avery's last night. So Kate was literally the last to know. The sisters had words and then Justin and Maggie had words.

Maggie Beckett Kemper never did have much of a soft side. Johanna Beckett often talked about what a great baby she had been, and how she was happiest in the playpen, isolated from Avery and Andrew. She was five when Kate was born, and, naturally, teams formed: Andrew and Maggie versus Avery and Kate. But as adults, Avery, Maggie and Kate were the best of friends, and yet they could still bicker like sisters.

All of the Beckett's had their fair share of pain and tragedy, Maggie included. Yes, she lost her mother to a violent death shortly after finding out she was pregnant with her first child. And she lost her brother-in-law while pregnant with her third. It was a testament to her strength that she carried them to term. But Maggie was introduced to violence at a much earlier age.

When she was eleven, she was riding horses, and actually quite good. She would go to the stables straight from school three times a week. Sometimes she happened to get there before her instructor. On one particular day, Maggie arrived just in time to see one of the stable hands kick a stool out from under himself to dangle in the middle of the stables. She ran for help, and the stable hand survived, but not before seeing him purple-faced and unconscious, hanging from a noose. She was never the same. Maggie had walls that even Justin couldn't get through.

Justin was hard at work on the omelet, and decided he needed the scoop before dinner that afternoon. "Mags, fill me in on everything. About Avery and Kate. So I know what's going on and what not to say."

"Right, because you're the one who always sticks his foot in his mouth and 'outs' people." Her hazel eyes flashed, shooting him a look.

"Mags."

"Okay. Avery and Geoff have been seeing each other romantically for two weeks. They haven't slept together yet. Avery claims she isn't ready."

"Isn't ready for what? It's not like she's a virgin. She has three children for crying out loud."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "She hasn't had sex in three years, Justin. Cut her some slack."

"Three years! You'd think she would be ready. I can't imagine going three years without…"

"Yes, I know. Anyway, Kate decided to be a surrogate for Emma and Jorge. But I don't think the kids know about either of these things. Or Castle's family for that matter."

"So how does that work?"

"What? The surrogacy? They take Emma and Jorge's embryos and implant them in Kate. It's all about timing. But first they have to check Emma's eggs. Then they can attempt it. I still can't believe she's doing it. I mean what's she thinking?"

"It's nice. I know Emma and Jorge are ecstatic."

"Kate's lost her mind. To go through all of that and the baby's not yours? It's not like they don't have other children."

"Maggie!"

"Well…" She shoved a fork full of omelet into her mouth. Thanksgiving dinner would be interesting to say the least.

* * *

It was 9am on Thanksgiving Day. Kate had one more hour of undercover duty for the parade and then she was heading to Avery's for the day. She always had some sort of duty or patrol on Thanksgiving during the parade. This year she was monitoring the crowd on the opposite side of the street from the grandstand, really a prime location. The crowd was really thick here, but seemingly well behaved.

_One more hour._

She was excited to go to Avery's for Thanksgiving, but now, thanks to Maggie, Kate was nervous too. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend the holiday with Castle and his family, but she wasn't sure that integrating the families this soon was a good idea. They had hardly spent any time with Alexis as a couple, or Martha for that matter. Andrew was in town for the weekend; he hardly knew she was dating. It just felt rushed.

The case they were working on the previous week had taken up a great deal of her time. She had barely been able to share a meal with Rick, much less any naked sports. They were both exhausted most nights due to the sheer intensity of the legwork. So last night she made a point of getting him to her place to satisfy some urges. _A girl has needs, _she said. He didn't disappoint. Five o'clock came too soon for both of them. As they were getting dressed he sounded so casual, "What time do we need to be at Avery's later?"

"Hmmm?"

"Avery's? For dinner?" Castle was looking at her with a solemn face. "What time?"

"Castle, what are you talking about?"

"Oh. You don't know." He proceeded to put his pants on when he felt her fingers on his ear, poised to induce pain.

"Don't know what?"

"Oh God. She's going to kill me. I swear she didn't say it was a surprise or a secret, but I have a feeling that a slow and torturous death awaits me."

"Spill."

"Maggie called me Monday. She said that the whole family will be at Avery's for dinner and that I'm welcome to come. 'Bring Alexis and your mom,' she said. Then she said she wanted to make things good between us for you. I accepted."

Kate's brow creased as she thought about it.

"We don't have to come. We'll stay home. You go be with your family today. Maybe you could come by later."

"Castle, don't be ridiculous. Be there by four."

"Are you sure? Because if it makes you uncomfortable I don't mind."

"Four o'clock, Castle. And remember, my Dad will be there. Don't bring wine." She closed the distance between them. "But I may need one of those mini bottles of vodka." She moved her lips over his gently.

"That I can make happen. You aren't mad are you?"

"At you? No. At Maggie? Let's just say, she's getting an early wake up call."

"Shit. She's going to kill me."

"Nah, just inflict a little pain. Maybe a pinch of humiliation. Nothing to threaten your mortality…or your manhood."

Kate Beckett was pissed. Maggie had crossed the line. The conversation on the phone that morning had been brief, but full of venom, from the sisters. The Becketts were not typically morning people. It seemed to come at them from both sides of the family tree. So Kate and Maggie had it out verbally, Maggie's biggest beef being that Kate called at six in the morning.

Kate arrived at Avery's shortly before noon. Avery was moving at warp speed, trying to get everything done. Geoff had called with the news that he couldn't make dinner. He had to perform emergency surgery on a seven year old kid in a car accident. Avery was disappointed, but threw her energy into preparing dinner. The tables were set: nine at the grown-up table and five at the kids table. It was Johanna's first time to sit at the grown-up table. Kate took direction from Avery and did whatever she said. Maggie was actually the more impressive party thrower, but Avery was holding her own, and she was the better cook.

They kept an eye on the Packers game. Justin was a huge fan, so Maggie was a fan by default. The Kemper clan made it over at halftime, and watched the rest of the game with exuberance as Green Bay defeated the Lions.

Jim Beckett arrived not long after the second game started. Kate and her dad went for a walk; she was out of her league anyway when Justin entered the kitchen with Avery and Maggie took over the decorations. Jim Beckett loved all of his children, but Kate held a special place in his heart, being the "baby," daddy's little girl, and being the only one left at home when Johanna died. She saved him, and she would always be his hero.

"So, Katie, you're sisters tell me your boyfriend is coming to dinner."

Kate blushed, "Why is it that when you say boyfriend, I feel sixteen again?"

He chuckled, "I think it just comes with being a dad. You don't want anything to happen to your little girls. Your mother always said, 'You're only as happy as your unhappiest child.' She was right." They walked on. "I wanted to kick Jacob's ass for getting that brain tumor."

"Dad!"

"I know that it wasn't his fault or his choice, but all I could really see was what it did to Avery. On that note, this Richard Castle fellow, how serious is this?"

Kate let the question roll around in her head. They rarely had moments like this anymore, when they were able to talk just the two of them. She wouldn't bullshit her way through an answer. "Pretty serious I think. I mean I can't speak for him, but I know he cares for me. I know…he loves me." Her face felt hot.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation. Those words had never been spoken between Kate and Rick, but she knew they were true. "I can't wait for you to meet his family. I just hope we don't overwhelm them." She took a deep breath.

"You mean you hope Maggie doesn't overwhelm them." He laughed.

"Right." She chuckled nervously. "It's just, Castle's mother is outspoken and so is Maggie. This is going to be interesting."

"You know Maggie doesn't think you should carry a baby for Emma, right?"

Kate nodded, "I don't understand her, and she doesn't understand me. I mean I know she thinks that it's what's best for me, but she isn't me."

"Is it what's best?"

Kate sighed. "I don't know, but I think so. It feels right. Castle is okay with it."

"I just don't want to see you hurt—anymore. But if it's what you want, I'll support your decision."

"Thanks Dad. Now if I can just keep Maggie off my back for the rest of the day, we'll be good."

They walked in silence for a while. "I miss your mother so much on days like this."

A lump instantly formed in Kate's throat. She nodded, "Me too."

"She would have loved this. Six beautiful grandchildren, four successful children, I couldn't be prouder of all of you. I wish I could share it with her."

"I wish you could too, Dad." The wind blew straight through them and Jim Beckett checked his watch.

"I think we should head back it's almost four and your brother and your boyfriend will be here soon." Kate blushed again.

Sure enough, Andrew was there by the time they returned from their walk. "Hey Katie! How is my baby sister?" He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

"Help! Help me!" Kate cried, teasing him.

"Right, help you. You could take me down in ten seconds."

"Try five seconds." Kate smirked at him. "You look good." Andrew was the tallest in the family, measuring a respectable 6' 4". He had short light brown hair that was just beginning to gray at the temples. Andrew somehow had these amazing eyes that would look blue or green depending on the color of his shirt. In his early forties, Kate's brother was in amazing shape. She couldn't help but wonder why he was still single. He'd had a number of girlfriends over the years, some serious, but he never married. She suspected it was because of his job. A veteran photo journalist, Andrew Beckett traveled the world many times into dangerous territory. She had to admit, he sounded a little like Jameson Rook.

"Thanks, Katie. You look good yourself. So, I hear you have a new beau? An author?"

"Yeah. Richard Castle." She said matter of factly, "How bout you big brother? Any women I need to run background checks on?"

The banter went back and forth until Castle arrived with his mother and Alexis. Kate made introductions all around. The timing was excellent and Thanksgiving dinner was served.

It was a complete success. Thanks to Avery, Justin and Maggie, the food was absolutely fabulous, and the company had been extraordinarily polite and pleasant. And then it went all wrong.

Thank God, Alexis and Johanna had retreated to Johanna's room, and the rest of the children had descended to the playroom to enjoy the Wii.

There was a lull in the conversation. They were finishing up with dessert and coffee, so naturally all of the overindulged adults around the table were in a Thanksgiving afterglow, which tended to result in sleepiness. Leave it to Andrew Beckett to stir the pot and get it boiling again.

"So Katie…," he started, holding her gaze and the flicking over to Maggie and back to Kate. The sisters knew what was coming. It was his "tell," the flicking of the eyes. Andrew was about to throw a hand-grenade on the table, but no one could duck and cover. "I hear that by this time next year you could be 'knocked up.'"

If you were listening carefully you would have heard Jim Beckett mutter "oh shit."

Martha Rogers almost choked on her coffee. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Nice, Andrew." Avery chided. "Would anyone like more coffee?" In typical Avery fashion, being the peace-keeper of the family, she was ignoring the bomb, but it went off anyway.

"Richard, Kate what is he talking about?" Martha sputtered. "You're trying to get pregnant?"

Rick and Kate spoke at the same time.

"No Martha—"

"No mother—"

"No, Martha, she's going to be a surrogate for a friend of hers." Maggie interrupted.

"A surrogate?" Martha was surprised. "Well that's…sweet. What a nice thing for you to do dear."

"Nice is one word for it." Maggie said disdainfully.

"Maggie." Justin and Avery both tried to rein her in, but it was like trying to stop a bull with a red cape in front of it.

"Really, I can't believe that you are all acting like this is okay. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."

"I watched you and Avery do it. I don't think it's fair to say I have no idea. I'm not a child, Maggie."

"It was one thing, Kate, to offer before she had Ethan, but now? Maybe you just want to have a baby. Any baby. And this is as good an excuse as any."

Heat flushed Kate's face. She set her jaw. Rick knew she was angry. "Maggie I don't know what your problem is, but this is my decision. If it's too much for you to take, then you don't have to see me. I won't call you. You can pretend I left the planet for nine months."

"You think this will be over in nine months, Kate? See that's what I'm talking about. You haven't thought this through. What is this going to do to your body? What about your career? You'll have to take maternity leave. You're going to sit at home for weeks after having this baby, with no baby. Have you thought about how emotionally difficult this is going to be?"

"Yes, I've thought about it. I'll have a good support system in place. Obviously without you. I've been through 'emotionally difficult' before, Maggie. I think I can handle it. The baby won't be mine; I'm just growing it for Emma."

"You feel guilty, don't you? That's why you're doing this."

Rick finally spoke up. He could sense Kate was getting close to her breaking point. "That's enough, Maggie. You need to respect her decision."

"Really, Rick? That's rich coming from you. Are you going to hang around for this, really? You're going to parade around my sister who's pregnant with another man's child? The media would just love that. You don't mind screwing someone who's pregnant with someone else's baby?"

"Maggie!" Jim, Avery, Justin and even Andrew were surprised by her outburst.

Kate's eyes watered more out of anger than pain. Maggie always had a sword for a tongue, but Kate usually wasn't on the receiving end of it. "Stop being a bitch, Maggie." Kate said so low that it was almost a growl. "Is that it? You're going to be embarrassed? Screw you."

Maggie softened a little, but it was too late, the damage was done. "You're doing this out of guilt, Kate. You have no reason to feel guilty. You couldn't save him. It's not your fault."

"Stop, please." Kate begged.

"I just don't want you to do something you'll regret. You aren't thinking, and you're obviously not getting good advice from those around you."

Kate stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over. "I don't answer to you Maggie. You obviously aren't going to support me, so just stay away. I'm not doing this out of guilt. You weren't there. Don't think that I didn't notice that you were no where near the hospital, or Emma and Jorge during their tragedy. If the world doesn't operate according to your standards, then you hide from it. And if you can't hide from it, you attack it, because it must be wrong." Tears of anger ran down Kate's face. "Damn you, Maggie."

She bolted. Grabbing her purse on the way out, Kate hurried for her car, anxious for the sanctuary of her own home. She could hear Castle calling for her, but she didn't want him to see her like this. Kate was seething, and she couldn't trust herself not to say something she might regret.

Because of the holiday, traffic was light, which was good, because the tears kept flowing, making the edges of the road blur. If she hadn't been so distracted from the tears and Maggie's words replaying in her mind, she might have heard the sirens. There was no other warning.

She saw the Dodge Charger run the red light on the cross street in front of her. As she entered the intersection she caught sight of the speeding police cruiser right before it collided with her car.

Twenty minutes later, Rick Castle groaned at the line of traffic. He just wanted to drop his mother and Alexis off at the apartment and find Kate.

Running his hands through his hair, he groaned, "Can this day get any worse?" He had no idea.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, so here it is. I know it took forever, and I apologize for circumstances beyond my control. It was very difficult for me to write. I am posting from vacation on my child's netbook with no Word to help me, so mistakes are mine. I am completely indebted to IMW for her assistance. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Chapter 6

Dr. Geoff Ballard was at the recovery room nurse's station writing up notes on his most recent patient when he was paged to the ER. Really, what was it about the holidays that made people so accident prone?

As he exited the elevator an intern intercepted him. "Car accident. A police cruiser hit a civilian car in a car chase. We have both the cops and the other driver."

"Who needs me?" He was a neurosurgeon, and not all trauma patients have brain injuries.

"All patients have proper pupillary responses, but the civvie has yet to wake up. She s in trauma 2."

As Geoff walked into Trauma 2, all of the blood drained from his face. _Kate_.

"I thought you said she was a civilian. She's a cop." Geoff rushed to her side. "Do we have films yet? How long has she been out?"

"She was not in the patrol car, she was in a Prius. Are you sure she's a cop?" The intern stated.

"Films are developing now. We were hoping to avoid a CAT or MRI. We have booked an OR and are waiting on your go ahead." The nurse joined in the conversation.

He was checking out her other injuries. There was a nasty cut and bump on the head. They still had the collar on her. She had a protruding compound fracture of her left humerus. _Thank God she's a righty._ "Are there any other injuries?"

Dr. Swindle, the other attending, was across from him. "She has some serious bruising on her right side, like she turned to shield herself from the impact. I think the steering column and the airbag probably caused it. The films should tell us if her ribs are broken. You know her?"

"Yeah." Geoff said solemnly. "She's my girlfriend's sister. Name is Kate Beckett. Someone get Avery Moore on the phone for me."

Geoff focused his attention solely on Kate. "Kate? Kate, can you hear me?" As he asked her these questions he shone his penlight in her eyes.

Suddenly, Kate's eyes sprang open and her back was arching. "Is she seizing?" The intern said loudly.

"No, she's waking up." Geoff got in her face and tried to calm her. "Kate, it's me Geoff. Do you know where you are?"

Letting out a painful moan, Kate's only response was "Hurts."

"I know. Listen to me. Do you know your name?"

"Kate Beckett." She groaned, and then she held her breath.

"Breathe Kate. Do you know where you are?"

She whimpered, "Hospital."

"Do you remember what happened?" Geoff knew that this was a long shot even without a brain injury, but he asked anyway.

"No." Her eyes moved around a little and came back to his. "Shot?"

"No, you were in a car accident."

"Side--hurts"

"Your side? Your arm or your side?"

"Both." Her breathing became shallow. "Side really hurts."

"Dr Ballard?" A nurse came in. "We have Avery Moore on the phone." The new relationship between Geoff and Avery was big news in the hospital.

"Kate, I m going to talk to Avery. I'll be right back."

"Avery." Kate groaned. "She'll worry."

He smiled at her. "It's what big sisters do."

He walked into the hall leaving the intern and the nurse to tend to Kate and prep her for surgery.

"Avery."

"Hey, babe. I'll have to say you sure know how to pick 'em. Dinner was a doozy. Can't wait until you get here and I can tell you about it. I saved you a plate--"

"Avery, stop. Kate is here."

"Kate came to you? I mean she was upset, but why would she come to you?"

"The ambulance brought her here Avery. Kate was in a car accident."

"Oh my God. Is she...?"

"She's hurt pretty bad, but she's awake and talking. She's being prepped for surgery now. I don't think you can get here before they take her up."

He took a deep breath. Their family had been through so much. "Are your dad and your brother and sister still there?"

"Yes, we'll be there as soon as we can, Geoff. We'll leave the kids with Justin. What happened?"

"All I know is there was a police chase, and the cruiser hit her car."

He heard Maggie in the background saying, "What's wrong?"

"Avery, you need to call Rick, he should be here. She may need some blood, Avery. They are typing now."

"OK, Andrew is O negative, but he's been out of the country. Maggie and I are both A positive like Kate."

"Have them page me when you get here. I may be--"

"Dr. Ballard, we need you!" The nurse stuck her head out of the door.

"I gotta go!" As he was running into the room he called for Dr. Swindle. "What happened?"

The intern answered, "I'm not sure. She was mumbling something about a castle and going home. I turn around and she's trying to push herself up on her right arm. Then she vagaled."

The doctors were looking her over, when Geoff palpated her abdomen and found it rigid. "We have to get her up to surgery. And squeeze that saline. We need blood. She's bleeding out."

Geoff and the nurse expedited the gurney to the elevator and up to the surgical floor where the trauma surgeon was waiting. As they were intubating her, Geoff was in the process of scrubbing in. He was not going to let her die.

* * *

Castle's phone was ringing when he walked through the door. It had taken them twice as long to get home, due to a detour they had to take. They were never able to figure out exactly what happened, but his best guess was an accident or maybe a fire. He was in a terrible mood. All he wanted to do was go see Kate and make sure she was okay.

He picked up the phone, expecting it to be Kate. "Castle."

"Rick, it's Avery." He heard her voice shaking on the other end, but he figured it was nerves about what had happened over dinner.

"Avery, hi. I was just about to head over to Kate's to talk to her--"

"Rick, she's at Presbyterian."

"What? Where?" _Presbyterian? The hospital? No that can't be right. Why would she be?_

"Presbyterian hospital. She was in an accident on her way home. Geoff just called me."

"Avery, an accident? Are you sure?" His heart seemed to drop into his stomach. He realized that he had sat down when he looked up at his daughter and mother. That explains why all of his calls went straight to voicemail. "Is she... is she okay?" He couldn't say alive. He knew she was. She was so much a part of him now; he would have felt it if she died.

"Geoff was in the ER with her. He said that she was hurt pretty bad, but that she was awake and talking. They were taking her to surgery though."

"Hurt? Hurt where? Why does she need surgery?" He felt light-headed. He wanted to throw up, but he knew he had to be strong for her. He remembered the last time she went into surgery, at least then he knew what was going on. His body started to tremble uncontrollably.

"I don't know. He had to go before he could tell me. We are on our way to the hospital now."

"I'll meet you there."

He stood hanging up the phone. "Kate was in an accident." Realization hit. "Oh, God. She was probably in that accident that had us held up in traffic! Oh, God!" His resolve was crumbling. "I have to get to the hospital."

"I'm coming with you." Alexis stood next to him.

"Alexis, no. You aren't spending your Thanksgiving--"

"Sitting at home, waiting for news, paralyzed with fear of losing my friend. No, you're right. I'm not going to spend my Thanksgiving doing that."

"Okay." Castle had no energy to argue with his "wise beyond her years" daughter. He looked to his mother. "Are you coming too?"

"I'll stay here dear, and make some calls. Call me when you know anything." Rick nodded and headed for the door.

* * *

"What's going on? She's in surgery? Did you get to see her?" Rick Castle raced into the surgery waiting room with Alexis on his heels looking as troubled as her father. He moved quickly towards Avery who was pacing the floor, chewing on her thumbnail. He had never seen her so worried before. The rest of the Beckett clan was seated in a corner of the room, whispering among themselves. Alexis, seeing Johanna sitting off by herself, decided to join the girl.

Rick was visibly upset, and Avery was trying to come up with calming words and still tell him the truth.

"Geoff is in there with them--"

"She has a brain injury?" _Oh God, not again._

'No. At least not severe. They're keeping an eye on that."

"Then why is Geoff...?"

"He's a trauma surgeon. He's really just assisting. It appears that she turned on impact and the steering column combined with the air bag broke some ribs and lacerated her liver. The bleeding was contained in the peritoneal cavity until she moved in the ER and..." Avery searched for words, but nothing but the straight truth came to her. "It looks like a rib punctured the peritoneum and she bled into the abdominal cavity."

"So, what s the...? What do they think...? I mean..." Rick couldn't complete his questions. He wanted to know her odds, but then again he didn't. He sat in the padded chair and held his head in his hands. At that moment, Jim Beckett approached them.

"We're going downstairs to the blood bank." Jim motioned to Andrew and Maggie. "Call us if you hear anything, okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, I will," Avery smiled slightly, "I'll go give blood when you get back."

After they were out of earshot, Rick asked, "She's getting blood?"

"Yeah." Avery said nothing else. She replayed the scene with Emma bleeding out. Trying to squeeze blood into her, but unable to keep up. Sliding in it. She shuddered at the similarities, but took comfort in the fact that Emma was okay now. She couldn't have any more children though. _Ironic. Kate and Maggie argue about the surrogacy; Kate gets mad and leaves. She gets into a car accident._ That was as far as Avery let it go. She couldn't lose anyone else. Her sanity was at stake.

The second hand on the waiting room clock seemed to shout out each passing second in the quiet room. Each minute passed agonizingly slow. Avery and Rick sat side by side, taking comfort in the presence of each other, and feeling no pressure to break the silence.

"Don't you leave me, Kate. I just can't take it. Fight. Fight, baby." Castle's voice was low but potent, as if trying to reach Kate's soul through the walls. Avery could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

She didn't know why, but she had to see her sister. Leaving a startled Castle in the waiting room, Avery forced her way through the halls, dodging interns and nurses, running as fast as she could and still feeling like her feet were trapped in dreamlike quicksand. She burst into the scrub room and froze at the sight in front of her. It looked like a massacre had occurred in the OR. The amount of blood on the floor was overwhelming, and there was more being suctioned out. So really it shouldn't have been a surprise to hear the audio that went with the visual. Avery recognized the faint monotone declaring Kate's heart had stopped beating.

She threw on a mask and cap and flew into the OR.

"Avery! Get out!" Geoff bellowed at her. He was in Kate's side looking for the second bleeder.

The other surgeon in the room was shouting orders to the staff. They were pumping oxygen into her lungs, squeezing blood into her as fast as they could. A nurse was standing on a stool doing chest compressions.

Ignoring her boyfriend's order and the fact that he had his hands inside her sister's chest, Avery found herself at Kate s head. Her eyes were taped shut and she was intubated, which she expected. "Don't you die on me." Avery echoed Castle's sentiments from the waiting room.

"Do you hear me, Katie? Fight. Fight for your life. So you can watch your nieces and nephews grow up. So you and Rick Castle can get married and spend a lifetime bickering at each other." Avery had a lump in her throat and her eyes stung from the tears, "I know it's hard, but you have to fight. Fight to stay with me." The tears started to fall, "I can't lose you too." She whimpered almost inaudibly.

Geoff was ignoring Avery at the head of the table. He could hear the tone of her voice. He knew she was upset, but if he was going to save Kate, he couldn't afford the luxury of quieting her lament. "Found it." The bleeder. It was a big one, but with the already substantial blood loss and the artificial pumping, it was easy to fix. It took two more units of blood and God only knew how many more chest compressions until her heart finally started beating on its own, allowing the attendants of the operating room to take a deep breath.

The pulse of the room changed dramatically, as the ortho surgeon fixed her arm and the rest of the damage was repaired. Leaving the others to close the wounds, Avery followed Geoff out of the OR into the scrub room. As soon as the door closed behind her, he turned on her.

"If you ever do that again, I'll throw you out of the OR myself." Geoff growled at her.

"What?" She was taken aback by his outburst.

"That little stunt you pulled in there. I swear, Avery, when I say 'Get out of my OR' I mean it."

"I needed to see her."

"You were being selfish."

"Selfish? How so? My wanting her not to die was completely selfish?"

"Of course not Avery. No one wants her to die. And I know you ve lost people and I know losing her would be the final straw. Which is why I m so angry at you right now." He took a deep breath. "You came in there and I was immediately distracted. Your sister has flatlined on the table, I am looking for the bleeder and you rush in. It took everything I had not to stop what I was doing and go to you. I needed you to leave. I told you to leave and you ignored me. Your distraction could have cost Kate her life."

"Geoff--"

"I need to go tell Rick and the rest of your family how it went." He stepped past her.

* * *

He was trying to think positive thoughts. He was trying to imagine her opening her eyes and smiling at him. Castle never meant to scare Avery with his words. Really he wasn't even sure she heard him. But the longer she was gone the more worried he became.

After Avery bolted from the room, Alexis and Johanna sat close to him and joined in his silent vigil. He vaguely remembered overhearing a conversation with his mother and another with Justin. Maggie, Andrew and Jim returned, and also queried as to Avery's whereabouts. Castle's shrug echoed Johanna's "I don't know. She just ran out."

A short time later, Ryan and Esposito entered, he thought they may have asked him questions; he might have even answered, but he didn't know what he said.

Later, Castle was aware of movement in his peripheral vision and looked up to see Avery Moore and Geoff Ballard walking towards him in the "hospital blue" scrubs. Avery's wardrobe change was not lost on rushed to them. Her siblings and father were not far behind him.

"Avery, Geoff, what happened? How is Kate?"

"I'm sorry I left you like that. I can't explain it. I just had to go see. I got there right when her heart stopped." Avery saw the devastation in Castle's eyes and quickly gave them the good news. "They got her back. She just lost so much blood--"

"Avery." Geoff stopped her and then addressed the group. Even though he had been pretty well covered in the operating room, there was still some of Kate s blood on the lower part of his scrub pants. Castle again fought the urge to vomit. "Kate suffered pretty severe injuries in the crash. She has six broken ribs, front and back. The ribs lacerated her liver, which caused the majority of the internal bleeding. We were able to repair the bleeding, but not before she lost a significant amount of blood. The blood loss did result in cardiac arrest, but we were able to start CPR immediately and her heart is performing fine now. She is still getting transfusions. She also had a compound fracture of the left humerus." Geoff pointed to his upper left arm for clarification. "That has been repaired, and ortho will advise on the prognosis of the arm."  
"Kate's condition is still serious, and I will admit her to intensive care from the recovery room, but after twenty-four hours I hope to move her to the floor."

Castle came forward, hand extended. "Thank you, Geoff, for everything." The rest of the group joined in Castle's appreciation.

Geoff nodded, but Castle could see fear in his eyes. "I think she's out of the woods, we'll just have to see how she is when she wakes up."

Geoff started to leave when Avery put her hand on his arm. "Geoff, please..."

"I have to go dictate my notes on the surgery. She'll be waking up soon. You can go see her, but they don't like more than one person at a time back there." His eyes remained on Avery as he spoke to the entire group. Then he left the room.

Avery was distraught. Geoff had never talked to her like that before. She could see his point, but at the time all she could think about was Katie.

"Do you think I could go see her?" Castle asked. Avery fielded the question, but she had a feeling he directed it toward the entire family.

"Well, since you were the last thing on her mind before she passed out, I think that s only fair." Avery recalled the story Geoff told her upon her arrival.

"What are you talking about?"

"The intern said right before she passed out she was talking about a castle and going home. I think she was talking about you."

He chuckled, anxiously following Avery to the recovery room. "She's going to look bad, just warning you."

Avery's warning was not enough. Kate's face was extremely pale, her eyes sunken with deep purple rings and some of her hair was matted to her head with blood. A hospital gown covered her, but her left arm was wrapped up to the shoulder. "Oh, God. Kate."

"A compound fracture is when the bone protrudes through the skin. They repaired the damage and pinned the bones, but they there's still quite a bit of swelling." She watched as Castle moved to Kate's right side. He lifted the gown and saw the bandaging over the badly bruised area. He glanced at the bags of fluid hanging by her bed. "They're giving her blood and antibiotics. Really, I know she looks bad, but she's going to be fine."

His jaw clenched as he gently slid his hand into hers. "An accident. A fucking car accident."

"I'll leave you with her. When she wakes up she'll need some pain meds. Let the nurses know."

Avery left them alone and Castle collapsed into the chair by her bed. All of the emotions he had been keeping in check pushed to the surface with every audible beat of her heart. His head rested on her bed and he wept.


End file.
